February 26, 2015
Kalyan Banerjee speaks on Motion of Thanks on President’s Address | Transcript
Full transcript of the speech:
I wanted to appreciate the Presidential Address, but considering the fact that it is nothing but jugglery of words I am not in a position to appreciate that .It could be titled as “batein zyaada, kaam kam”, talk more work less.
The people of the country have seen that the Government has not been able to achieve what they promised during the last 9 months. We have seen their arrogance. Sir, few ministers have arrogated themselves with the power. Before I deal with the clause by clause of the address, Sir, we have long been pursuing for a waiver of the huge debt burden left by the previous Government in West Bengal. We have waited for more than three and half years with no results unfortunately the President’s address did not address our demand or grievance.
Sir, I want to point out that, we appreciate this, that the Government of India through the Ministry of HRD had published a message on the eve of the Marathi Matri Bhasa Divas on 21 February 2015 in one of the national English newspapers in 22 scheduled languages of India. For the Santhali language, Debnagari script is used instead of Ol Chiki script. The script of Santhal community is Ol Chiki script. Please take corrective steps in future.
Sir, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana it has started already earlier from Panchayat level. In every Panchayat and villages there is no bank. First take steps to open branches of the bank in every village. Sir, in West Bengal, Government has let out of houses to banks at the Village level at Re 1 for the benefit of the villagers.
Sir, under direct benefit transfer scheme, public is getting harassed. They are spending more money to get subsidy. Regarding school toilets we appreciate your view. In West Bengal it is almost covered. But we have a request to the Central Government to take steps for cleaning of toilets. Provide 1% to clean toilets.
Skill India is not a new concept. We have already made a good numbers of ITIs and Polytechnics. Out if 341 blocks in West Bengal, 100 ITIs and Polytechnics are complete and in 100 blocks are in progress.
Housing for all, we appreciate it. But you must clarify what do you mean by that? Housing for all means 125 crore people of the Country? Of one family member? If for one family then how many members? It cannot be a vague one.
So far financial benefits are concerned; financial benefits are being reduced by this Government. In 100 days work, they have reduced it from Rs 1.50 lakh crore to Rs 1 lakh crore. Instead of 100 days, it has gone down to 40-50 days. They have reduced the financial benefit also for construction of Gramin Roads.
So far Land Bill is concerned we are opposing it. Sir, we are very much clear. In 2013 also we opposed the Bill, because the cultivator’s rights cannot be taken away.
Sir, in 2007 our leader Mamata Banerjee fasted for 26 days for Singur near Kolkata. And I am not taking the name, one of the very senior stalwart leader of Bharatiya Janta Party had gone at that time and was with Mamata Di for a few hours. I convey my heartiest thanks to that leader on behalf of my party. I request that Leader, what you stood for that day; today also stand for the grievances of the cultivators. Do not take away the right of the cultivators.
Sir, churches are being burnt. Dharmantakaran is going on at every state. Man ka jo vikash hain, us man ka vikash mein dharm rahte hain. Dharam alag jaga mein nahin rahta hain.
During the Christmas vacation, I went to Turkey. I had one guide who told me that Turkey is a secular country. He told me that there are 98% Muslims in Turkey. I asked him, what is your religion? He told me that he was a Muslim. He also asked me what my religion was and I told him that I was a Hindu. He told me that our religion is the origin of all religions. He told that our religion has two important features which were, not to kill any life and the second one was to love each and everyone in this world. He said that he respects our view. Hinduism says to respect and tolerate all religions of the world. That is the foundation of the Hindu religion.
In Turkey, I was thinking that if the message of that Muslim guide could be conveyed to Members of the Ruling Party, our country would have gone in the correct direction and in the correct path.
Sir, I would request the Hon’ble Prime Minister, first decide your vision, then take your decision. Kindly, do not be a prisoner of indecision in this country in respect of religion, emotion and religious thoughts.
Works related to girl child is good, but what have you done? Are you asking for only advertisement, propaganda? What have you done? Rs 100 crore allocated to girl child’s benefit. In our State, our Chief Minister, only for one State, has allocated Rs 850 crore allocated for the Kanyashree scheme. If you want, we are ready to cooperate for the benefits of the women of this country.
I read, long back, during World War II, all citizens of the country had gone to war. One professor was in his library, studying. A soldier entered his library and wanted to kill him. When the professor asked why the soldier wanted to kill him, the soldiers said that all had gone to war for the country while the professor was in his library. The professor asked what the soldier meant by the country and the soldier described the country and the culture. The professor said, victory is our game, peace is preserved, history is made not in battlefields but in educational institutions. Education is the sea bed of culture. It has to be improved. But allocate money. Don’t go by prachar. Don’t go by advertisement. Go by work that will fulfill the purpose. We will request the Hon’ble Prime Minister. You have undertaken a job, finish it.
Someone was referring to Swami Vivekananda early in the morning. Kindly convey to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, if you want to build up, if you want to really help the girl child, allocate Rs 50,000 crore for that scheme, in that case it can be done, otherwise not. Otherwise the scheme will be advertisement for the purpose of the Government.
Sir, health is a State subject. Leave it to the State. But allocate money to State Governments so that they can work. During the nine months they are still running for the benefits.
Provident fund employee benefits are not being given to the workers at all.
Contracted laborers in this country do not have security in their employment. In the 15th Lok Sabha, the Standing Committee on Coal submitted a recommendation to the Government that whenever and contract laborer is there for a period of more than five years if it is of pertinent character, frame out a scheme, absorb the contract laborers there. Keep the contract laborers in their workshops decades after decades. Do not exploit them.
Sir, regarding governance procure and transfer, we have done it all in our State. It is not a new thing . We have a question on governance. Do you have any administrative calendar? Do the Prime Minister hold meeting at grass root level for the purpose of good governance? Our Chief Minister has done it. She chaired more than 80 meetings at the grass root level.
Sir, the problem in our country is, where is trust? The Government has to trust the Minister and the administrative officers. Let that trust be built up first.
Sir, what Digital India has been made? Advertisement? Even in Delhi, even in the MP’s houses we do not get any Wi-Fi benefit. If you use MTNL, every minute there is a drop. For a conversation of five minutes, you need to call five times. Digital India is a very good concept but make it effective. Make it available to the people at large.
Power crisis should not remain in the summer. What power benefits have you given? Nothing. In every state, mostly in the Northern States, power crisis is there. Due to the power crisis, water supply is not there. I went to Bangalore a few days back. There people said that there is dearth of water in Bangalore. What has been done? Nothing had been done it is just in the advertisement purpose.
FDI, we are opposing. Do not try to sell the country to the foreign investment. This country has a lot of investors. This country has lots of industrialists and retailers. Do not be an agent of the foreigners.
Deep sea port we are welcoming it. In Sundarbans, the State Government has cleared everything that is concerned with the deep sea port. I am requesting the concerned minister to kindly take steps for the deep sea port.
In respect of the black money, it has become a mockery. Every people of the country laughs towards you when you say that ‘we will recover black money.’ You have spoken; you have made a promise that within 100 days money will be returned back. 100 days have gone, 9 months have gone and the black money has not yet reached. People have not yet got Rs 15 lakhs.
You have got the results. Do not talk about Saradha, you have lost the elections in Bongaon by-elections by more than 2 lakh votes. Do not open your mouth. Your mouth has been shut down by the people of the Bengal. CBI has said in the Gujarat case that there are materials against one person, but now after the election is over materials are not there. Surprising, this is surprising. I was telling in the beginning that few of the Council of Ministers have arrogated themselves with power. Now I say that every members of the Bharatiya Janata Party have arrogated themselves with power. They are have the power and want to bulldoze everything. They have the power and are becoming vindictive, they have the power, so they are putting people behind in jails, they have the power so shut the voice of the persons who are opposing you. This is the Bharatiya Janata Party; this is the ruling party in concern.
Sir, Delhi has given a lesson to them. Bihar is waiting in 2015. You wanted to break through in Bihar and you could not achieve, Bihar is waiting. Come to West Bengal in 2016, we will show you what Mamata Banerjee is. Somebody will be flying from Gujarat; someone will be flying from Delhi. They cannot take the hold of Bengal. ‘Banglar mati durjoy ghati, bujhe nik durbritto.’ Banglar mati te ashun. Delhi se urke kuch nehi hota hai.
Sir, let me tell you one thing, you will be interested. Their party’s President in the State level has lost all elections, since elections. That is the BJP Party in West Bengal. Hindi me ek gana hai Sir, Kuri meri swapne me milte hai, aur unlogo ka swapne me milta hai. Unlogo ke Swapne me rehne dijiye, koi asubida nehi hai.
Again I am saying, come in 2016, come there and let us see your strength and let you see the strength of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal.
Thank you Sir.
